Ruby St. Clair's POV

I slouched on the sofa in the living room area a week after Roman and I installed ten house rules so we could live harmoniously for two months without killing each other. After we signed the rules Roman made a bargain at me later that evening.

He negotiated Rule #4 which was dividing household works equally. He made a deal that since he was busy working with his business throughout the day and since I was often left alone in the house I should clean the house six days a week and he would clean the house the whole day on my day off.

Since today was Sunday and my first day off since the agreement. I chose to stay at the house to remind him of his duty. Watching a chick flick movie on his huge plasma TV, I glanced at the wall clock and frowned. What took him so long to wake up? I asked myself silently. It's almost nine in the morning.

Annoyed, I stood from the sofa and marched to his bedroom at the end of the hallway. I knocked rapidly at his door. "Roman. Open the damn door, Roman!"

I was already halfway from breaking his door when it miraculously opened. My eyes collided with the bare chest of a man. He was only wearing his freaking boxers nothing more! I avoided my gaze as the blush furiously spread in my cheeks. "Good morning, Red." He said with a yawn. "I never expected that you would be knocking on my door sooner than I thought."

I glared at his face, trying not to look at his well-built body. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

He focused his sleepy eyes on me with a devilish smile playing on his lips. His bedroom voice made me shiver. "Haven't I told you that you will come knocking in my room soon? I didn't expect that I would only wait for a whole week. Come inside and let me have you for breakfast, Red."

Finally comprehending what he meant by that statement if I thought the blush in my face wouldn't go any red I was mistaken. "The hell I will come inside your room, you moron! I just knocked to remind you of your household chores."

"What a pity, then." He said remorsefully, but I could see the glint in his eyes. I took a step backward when he suddenly made advances in my direction. "I thought you already had a change of heart with your promise of not sharing my bed, wife."

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked cautiously, taking steps backward until my back flattened against the wall.

He smiled rakishly in my direction, as he placed his palm on the wall trapping me with his body. "Seducing you, darling."

I glared vehemently at his smiling eyes. "You are not funny, Mister. Let go of me now. Start cleaning the house as you bargain."

"In a moment," He answered, staring into my eyes deeply. A devilish smile played on his lips. Oh, how I want to smack off that smile. My hands itched to do that if my heart just didn't beat loudly in my chest right now. "I will flirt with my wife first."

I threw an acidic look at him. "Your flirtation does not affect me, Roman. You are just wasting your time."

"Oh, yeah?" He asked maddeningly, his grey eyes danced with wickedness. "Then how come your face is as red as your hair, my darling wife? I believe you are not immune to my charm as you claim to be."

"You are so full of yourself, do you know that?" I asked with irritation in my voice. I sorely regret my impromptu decision to wake this beast. I tried to push him away from me so I could escape. Uh-oh, the wrong move my hands got in contact with his hard chest. "Let go of me!"

He smiled evilly down at me. "Why don't you push me away as hard as you can, darling? If you can who knows you might escape me then."

"I don't have time to play games with you, Roman." I tried to flee from my position but I was trapped by his big frame. "I just wake you to remind you of your duty."

"My duty?" He replied innocently. "Are you saying my duty as your husband? Then if that's what you meant I will gladly fulfill it now, Red. Come let's spend the day in bed. It's very cold outside let's cuddle in bed."

I scowled at him darkly, if I could just burn him with my glare. "I'd rather freeze outside than spend the day with you in bed."

"That reminds me, wife." He said conversationally, completely ignoring my dark looks. "What are you doing here? If I remember correctly today is your day off. I am expecting when I wake up you already left."

I avoided his intense gaze. "I—I...am not in the mood to wander in the city today. So I chose to stay inside your house."

He smiled knowingly in my direction. "If I didn't know better I would assume that you chose to stay here because you like to spend the day with me, Red." I started to open my mouth to retort but he cut me off. "But of course, that's highly impossible, right?"

"Damn right, it is!" I answered him fumingly. The nerve of this man, I silently cursed myself mentally for allowing this devil to play a role in my life. "Are you going to clean this freaking house or are we going to stand here all day?"

"All right, fine." He said, finally setting me free from our position on the wall. I took a deep breath as he moved away from me. "I will postpone my seduction to you for today. I will resume it on another day. Where do you want me to start, Your Serene Highness?"

My eyebrows knitted together, as I stared at him feebly. He walked into the living room with his boxers only. "You are going to clear the house looking like that?"

He glanced at me past his shoulder with a sinful grin. That kind of smile like the devil was tempting you to be a sinner. "What? Do you have a problem?"

"At least, wear a shirt or something!" I informed him with impatience. "Don't you feel ashamed of your appearance? If you have a house guest in your house you should dress around appropriately. "

He raised a maddening eyebrow in my direction as if my outburst was the most illogical thing he had ever heard. "Why do I need to dress appropriately in my own house, Red? Besides, you are not just a merely house guest here you are my wife. In addition, don't act as if, you have not seen anything my body has to offer. You've seen everything before, right?"

"I don't remember." I lied through my teeth when in truth my brain replayed the images inside my head. I fought off the stupid stain that spread on my cheeks. I don't want to be affected by his words.

"Do you want me to remind you, wife? He inquired pleasantly. His steel-grey eyes held unholy amusement in their depth. "I will be glad to remind you of that night, Red."

"No, thank you. I'm good." I gave him a saccharine sweet smile. "All I want for you is to put on a t-shirt and sweatpants."

"All right," He sighed and went to his bedroom again. I stayed in my place rooted watching him silently. He stopped at his bedroom door and stared at me with amusement on his face. "Keep staring at me like that, Red. Expect a certain part of my anatomy to react."

"What?" I frowned at him, unable to understand what he meant by that statement. When he seemed to notice that I didn't follow he gave me a speaking glance at his manhood. My eyes widened at bulk and averted my look immediately. "It has nothing to do with me, you idiot!"

"I beg to disagree, Red." He contradicted playfully. Seriously, my cheeks heated again. Never in my life had I let a man affect me as much as him. "I know when a woman is looking at my proud member."

I threw him a venomous look. "The only thing I want to do with that thing is detach it from your body permanently, Roman."

Instead of looking angry because of my threat of dismembering him, he merely smirked in my direction. "That's harsh, darling. Now I have to suffer from erection because of your sultry stares at my body."

"You can burn in hell with your erection with all I care."

He laughed merrily stinging my ears at the sound. This man was tempting his fate. He probably signed his death wish already. "To make up with my morning erection wife I want you to compensate."

"The hell does that mean..." Before I could finish my sentence, he took two steps when he was already standing in front of me and he was claiming my lips with such intensity. My hands automatically clamped on his shoulder to support my weak knees. Here I was again in his arms letting him kiss me boldly when I repeatedly promised myself not to let him have liberties with my body.

"Roman..." I mumbled almost absently when he was finally satisfied.

He smiled down at my passion-clouded eyes. "That's my first kiss for today. I will collect the remaining kisses later this day, my darling."

Before I could formulate a hot comeback. He winked at me and firmly closed the door behind him making me want more of his addictive kisses.

I will kill you with my bare hands, you'll see. I promised myself, glaring at his bedroom door. I will not surrender to you without a fight.

Emerald St. Clair's POV

The harsh winter of New York couldn't stop me from having a private meeting with my two older sisters in a certain coffee shop in town. I stared at Amethyst and Sapphire who sat across from me.

"What shall we do now?" Amethyst broke the painful silence of our table while sipping her espresso. Until now I still couldn't believe the little secret of my twin sister. Who would have thought that she was already married? I still couldn't put Marriage and Ruby in the same sentence it's so bizarre in my ears. "I know we already established that mysterious man is Ruby's husband—do you think Granddad knows this already?"

I shrugged casually, studying my sister's troubled faces. "I'm not sure. The question is not whether Granddad knows this little secret of Ruby but more of how long we can keep him in the dark."

"The real question is," Sapphire said in a sotto voce. "Do you think there's a person on this earth existing can hide something from Daniel St. Clair?"

Amethyst and I remained silent. It was as clear as the diamond he sells that no one can hide anything from Granddad that long and this hitch Ruby brought home was no exception. "What shall we do now?" Amethyst repeated her question earlier.

"Do you think if we tell Granddad about this he will be happy? I asked after a moment of serious thinking. "Do you think he will let the three of us off the hook if learns about this news that his rebellious grandchild is now married?"

Sapphire's eyes widened considerably while Amethyst's thought seriously. "You can't be serious, Em!" My divorced older sister said in horror. "You are going to throw Ruby out of the bus so you can save yourself from Granddad?"

I scowled at her intently. "You make it sound so horrid, Sap. That's not what I meant by my statement."

"If we'll have this battle against Granddad we need Ruby on our side," Sapphire announced with conviction in her voice. I hid my smile, and the formidable businesswoman resurfaced even on a chilly Sunday.

I looked smugly in her direction, sipping my coffee leisurely to tell her. "I don't think my twin has time to join forces with us in our battle with Daniel. I believe she's quite busy playing as the little wife of that Spanish billionaire. It's been a week since she moved in with him."

"What? Really?" Amethyst's piqued with this information. "Did you hear anything from her since then?"

I shook my head, as I smiled at them. "No, I think they are busy with themselves. I don't want to bother them. From what I understand their marriage back in Spain was short-lived maybe now they are trying to mend their gap."

"It seems that Ruby is reluctant to introduce her husband to us," Sapphire muttered under her breath. "I hope her marriage will not end like mine."

"I hope our sister hadn't yet killed that Spanish man." My oldest sister commented dryly.

I laughed, raising my cup of coffee for a mock salute. "Let's hope for the best, shall we?"